| Past Projects: Fish Passage at Stream Crossings Program California has a vast network of roads, many of which cross over the state’s waterways. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)-Southwest Region has identified fish passage problems with many of these stream crossings (i.e.-culverts and bridges) in that they often block the passage of migrating fish, including several threatened and endangered species of Pacific salmon. These antiquated stream crossing structures were designed and built years ago, in an era when less was known about the needs of fish to move freely within streams to satisfy their biological requirements. Typically, culverts were under-designed from a hydraulic engineering standpoint – resulting in elevation, velocity, or turbulence barriers that prevent salmon and steelhead from passing effectively for spawning and rearing in fresh water streams. |
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NMFS has led efforts to make California’s stream crossings more “fish-friendly” by: · Investigating and documenting the ubiquitous nature of fish blockages at stream crossings in salmonid watersheds · Sponsoring and participating in research and state-wide inventory efforts to identify problems and find acceptable solutions · Working cooperatively with other agencies and stakeholders through the California Fish Passage Forum · Collaborating with CalTrans, the U.S. Forest Service, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and local government programs to address fish passage issues within their jurisdiction · Developing engineering design guidelines for salmonid passage at stream crossings · Conducting technical workshops for hydraulic engineers, biologists, and planners · Assisting project proponents with grant money for project implementation through NOAA’s Community-Based Restoration Program
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03/11/08 |
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